Hello RezParents (and Grandparents) -
Well, you’ve made it almost all the way through the first month of 2021! Phew! Maybe you have thrived and maybe you have struggled. Possibly you’ve had moments of both. Take heart, dear parent, for He is where our hope and comfort come from.
Psalm 62:5-8 “Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I shall not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.”
As promised this email will provide some resources for you to use with your family and in your home. Not all resources are a “one size fits all,” so feel free to pick what you find most fitting for your season.
Also included below is a brief summary of The Gospel Project, the curriculum we use for our Preschool through Fifth Grade kids. This will hopefully enlighten you as to how to get the most out of this curriculum with the Weekly Lesson Videos provided on the RezKids blog, until we can meet again in person.
Parent Resources:
To Read:
The Read Aloud Family: Making Meaningful and Lasting Connections with Your Kids
Description:
The stories we read--and the conversations we have about them--help shape family traditions, create lifelong memories, and become part of our legacy. Reading aloud not only has the power to change a family--it has the power to change the world.
But we all know that connecting deeply with our families can be difficult in our busy, technology-driven society. Reading aloud is one of the best ways to be fully present with our children, even after they can read themselves, but it isn't always easy to do. Discover how to:
Prepare your kids for academic success through reading to them
Develop empathy and compassion in your kids through books
Find time to read aloud in the midst of school, sports, and dinner dishes
Choose books across a variety of sibling interests and ages
Make reading aloud the best part of your family's day
The Read-Aloud Family also offers age-appropriate book lists from infancy through adolescence. From a toddler's wonder to a teenager's resistance, you will find the inspiration you need to start a read-aloud movement in your own home.
Spiritual Formation:
Description:
An accessible, fun introduction to the basics of the faith, The ABC’s of the Attributes of God are designed to bring the unchanging character of God to life for kids. With inviting designs and simple, concise definitions, children ages 4 to 12 will learn what it means that God is omnipotent, just, and all-knowing, and where we see each attribute in Scripture.
Technology:
LifeWay Kids App including games and more for The Gospel Project
Search for and download this app in your app store on your phone or tablet.
RezKids is currently on Volume 7, Unit 20, which will be in the tab for SPRING 2020 on the app. Our church is not following Lifeway’s timeline for this curriculum, which is perfectly fine. There is no specific pace we must follow.
Lifeway has a free option (Lite) that is great, or you can pay 99 cents for the version that includes songs, videos, puzzles, and additional games. Either option is great for those times it’s necessary for your child, or children, to have your phone or the tablet for entertainment.
The neat thing about this app is that you are able to reinforce what the kids are learning in their lessons each Sunday all through the week. Think, at the dinner table, or just before bed. Maybe on the way to the school in the morning. All are great times for meaningful conversation with your kiddos about what they are learning in scripture.
The Gospel Project:
Click here to read about The Gospel Project.
RezKids is taking a chronological journey through the Bible, via The Gospel Project; learning of how God uses stories through the history of the world to show His glory and to demonstrate He has always been pointing to Jesus.
Each week builds on the previous weeks in connecting the dots in the tapestry of God’s Perfect Plan to save His people. While the stories can stand alone if needed, there is really a much bigger picture of how each story connects to the next and next. That is why I strongly encourage you to watch the lessons and participate in discussion with your kids every week; even if they are in service with you.
Available to you and your children each week on the RezKids blog:
Introduction Video
Lesson highlights, big words from the lesson, questions to answer after the video
Lesson Video
The Gospel Project Lesson
Activity Sheets
Preschool and school age versions
Praise and Worship
Links to praise and worship songs on YouTube
One song each week is a tool to help memorize scripture
Motivation:
Cultivate meaningful relationships with your children
Establish a routine of Gospel focused conversation with your family
Start a new habit of reading aloud in your home
Use the “downtime” with an app that will be of spiritual use rather than a way to kill time and entertain
Action Steps:
Purchase The Read Aloud Family by Sarah Mackenzie (or check it out from your library)
Spend some time reading the book and looking through the suggested book lists for your age children
Peruse the Tiny Theologians website to look at the ABC’s of God’s Attributes, or other available products to easily teach your children about Biblical terms and truths
Download the Lifeway for Kids App on your phone or device
Pray about how the Lord would like for you to move forward in terms of deepening your relationship with your kids and family
Ok, take a few moments and look over these action steps. Add some, or all, to your planner to ensure you make progress on these steps this week so you are prepared to implement these tools and resources in February.
Send me an email with how you are using these in your home and family. I want to hear stories of conversations you are having with you kiddos. Share the testimonies of how God is working and showing Himself in your family!
Parenting is hard. Parenting is amazing. Parenting is humbling. And parenting is beautiful. You’ve got this! Because He’s got you!! Parent by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Blessings,
Mandy Seymour
Childrens Minister
mandy@rezfaith.com
